Gary Bensman of Diversified Rails did the restoration and conversion to a B&O engine. It looks good even of it isn't correct and it better than being passed around in pieces over the years.
77 is now running on the Alberta Prairie tourist railroad in Canada as their number 41. When she left the Mississippian the second time in the mid 80's her coonskin plate was given to the Carlisle family. Robert
I had tried to find out about the coonskin, when this was first announced Karl but have never got a reply. That poor thing really made the rounds, even if it is not a Frisco depiction right now it’s better than it had been for many years.
Good story. Thank you for posting it. I invented such a tale for an old Mantua Pacific with a zamac boiler that I modified to remind me of the Frisco, giving it a different tender and a number where only the first digit matched any prototype. My model railroads were always Frisco in my mind's eye, and some of the more carefully detailed commercial models I was later able to afford don't bring me any more pleasure.
Sure looks good! Nothing wrong with B&O - not a bad end result if fate had it lose its Frisco heritage markings. K
Why do these people keep fictionalizing these engines into things they never were, when they have a very rich real history worthy of preservation and presentation? The passing off of ex GM&N 425 as a real Reading piece is the one that probably galls me most, but the 4960 is right behind. I bet no one would re letter a K4 for a Frisco engine
Lionel did! In my early days I had a Lionel layout with the 675 steam O-gauge locomotive. The 675 was actually a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement, but it was made out to look just like a PRR K4 Pacific. It had the PRR Keystone on the smokebox door, 675 on the cab, the high mounted headlight, but the tender said Lionel Lines. I loved it anyway. Santa brought it in 1949, my dad and I sold it, along with everything else Lionel, in 1964. In hindsight, that was a bad mistake! K
I for one - don't appreciate the B&O fake livery - I remember riding on it in Mississippi as a kid. Should have been painted Frisco or Mississippian. Frank Carlisle had to hold me up to grab the cord for the whistle...... The old coonskin must have been given to Buddy Carlisle?
For a long time the engine was in pieces and had no future. I'd rather see her in Frisco configuration, but this is far better that she has been for years.
I worked a job in Canada at Elkford, B.C. - flying in through Calgary and then driving over Crowsnest pass. Tough railroading up there to cross over the rockies. After I learned that #77 was relatively close by - I went over to sort of "lay eyes on" the rascal once again. The machinist I had with me rolled his eyes over the side trip but later admitted it was worth the effort. But....... no pictures! What was I thinking?
I do remember seeing #76 in pieces in Owosso, MI during train expo in 2014. I actually live not too far away in New Baltimore, MI. The cab looked great outside where some members of the organization were holding a fundraiser for its attempted restoration. The frame and running gear were in the shop and I hoped it would be a good runner in Owosso. It is quite a shame that this never occurred. I sure hope it is getting loving care by the people at its current home. I also have a couple of sound albums that contain sounds of the engine at work on the Mississippian Railway around 1960. Very impressive whistleblowing.
Visited the Mississippian in 1964. Right at the end of an era . Dad drove a buddy and I all the way, 300 miles or so, to Amory but wouldn’t do the last 25 miles to follow it to Smithville. He’d grown up with steam so couldn’t understand what the big deal was. Also saw for the last time an actual hotbox flaming high lighting up the Frisco yard that evening.
